How to expand my Parallels disk?

[ML2008]

There used to be a tool included with Parallels that allowed me to expand my HD as needed but after upgrading to version 3.0 I can't see it anymore!

How can I expand my disk without that tool?

[Olivier]

There used to be a tool included with Parallels that allowed me to expand my HD as needed but after upgrading to version 3.0 I can't see it anymore!

How can I expand my disk without that tool?
It is indeed missing from version 3 of Parallels Desktop for Mac and I wonder if when it will come back. Missing this tools also locks people out of converting from expanding to plain disk and the reverse. This last week-end, needing to resize my vm disk and revert it to plain disk (fixed size) I had to go the hard way : build a brand new VM disk of the right size and type, mount it in my VM as a second disk, use Paragon Partition Manager to copy the partition from disk 1 to disk 2, resize it, make it bootable, and then restart the vm with the second disk as first one. At least I now have a nice new plain volume.

[Rachel Faith]

I wonder why it is missing. But good to know that the various partitioning tools work.

[Olivier]

I wonder why it is missing. But good to know that the various partitioning tools work.
My guess: the file formats of the VM disks have been completely redesigned while adding the snapshots and undo features, not to mention the split-disks (disk split in multiple < 2Gb files). This means the tools we were discussing need a complete rework too, at least.

[Purplish]

The work-around is to create and attach an additional virtual hard disk to your VM. Just like in the good old days of Windows...when you run out of space, add another drive.

[mcsenerd]

Just to chime in...I also resized a version 3 disk by:

adding a second virtual disk to the machine and using Acronis True Image to clone the existing disk to the new one and then replacing the original virtual disk in the machine configuration with the newly created clone and then deleting the original virtual disk.

Worked like a champ...no problems at all.

[Rachel Faith]

Sounds like the best tool is still the old tried and true partion magic and their clones like Acronis, et al.

[Leonard]

It is indeed missing from version 3 of Parallels Desktop for Mac and I wonder if when it will come back. Missing this tools also locks people out of converting from expanding to plain disk and the reverse.Kind of off topic, but how do I know if my VM is set to fixed or expanding? It was created using Transporter and I don't remember telling Parallels which to use.

[Rachel Faith]

I'd go to the tools and SET it to FIXED before you use any 3rd part partitioning tools if I were you.

[conalho]

I also need help expanding my C drive disk. I'm running out of room and would like to continue just maintaining one virtual hard drive (i.e., Drive:C). What is the easiest way to expand my disk. I'm not too familiar with Windows so any help would be grateful. I am, however, an experienced Mac user.

[Olivier]

I'd go to the tools and SET it to FIXED before you use any 3rd part partitioning tools if I were you.
The whole point of this thread is indeed that those tools you mention are not here anymore with current version 3.0. So no way to size-adjust the virtual disk and no way to convert it in-place from expanding to plain or the reverse. Creating new virtual disks and moving data from old to new disk through partition manager tools are currently the only workaround.

[Olivier]

Kind of off topic, but how do I know if my VM is set to fixed or expanding? It was created using Transporter and I don't remember telling Parallels which to use.
Visit the VM settings and look for the disk parameters, there you will see if it is an expanding disk or not.

[Leonard]

Ah,okay. I see "Use Image File" and a reference to "Virtual Disk Size" under Hard Disk Options in Configuration Editor. The Virtual Disk Size is ~57GB and the actual size of the disk image is ~9GB (Under Advanced). I guess this means that is is expanding and can expand to ~57GB?

[dkp]

The official response from Parallels for PD3 is in the Knowledge Base at http://kb.parallels.com/entry/26/309/

In another thread one of the staff mentioned they were working at replacing the image tool with one that is compatible with the new image format.

[justonemike]

I would like to be able to set my minimum free space on the expanding drive?

Can you set it to have at least 1 gig or something ... mine is a 15 gig with only 8 used and it is always at 300-500 available and the warning is always going off for the low disk space, plus I cant run programs like netflix's play now etc. since the system always thinks I am dangerously low on disk space ....

anyone know an easy solution? Is there a setting that I just cant find?

:confused:

[KeithT]

In Version 2.5 I had set my disks to be expanding... in Version 3.0 Build 4560, it seems that I have "Plain" disks for some reason... I tried to compress the drives but error messages keep popping up. I have deleted all Snap Shots. No diff. Thus my impression. I followed the thread to the support pages and launched the Image tool... No good. It says I have to have expanding disks!.... What gives.... besides building new VM's is there another way to convert back to 'expanding' disks?

[jackybe67]

You can't convert your disk.
We have to wait until update for compressor problem.